1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for the transport of rod-shaped articles for the tobacco processing industry in a mass flow between machines of the tobacco-processing industry along a conveyor route between an outlet of a first machine (e.g., a production machine) to an inlet of a second machine (e.g., a packaging machine).
2. Discussion of Background Information
International Publication No. WO-A-03/053178 describes a device for connecting a supply unit with a consumer unit for the production of tobacco products. A transport channel is cleared between a production unit (e.g., maker) and a packaging unit (e.g., packer) with a carriage running in the channel.
Furthermore, German Pat. No. DE-A-37 42 093 describes a device for transferring products of the tobacco-processing industry between machines on a production line.
Moreover, European Pat. No. EP-A-1 020 126 describes a method and an apparatus for conveying cigarettes.
In order to prevent a product mixture in a transport channel (for example, in the case of a cigarette brand change), the transport channel on the transport route of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry is run empty in an infeed and transfer device (e.g., a Rod Transfer System (RTS)) and a downstream reservoir (e.g., a Flexible Mass Flow Reservoir (FMR)). This obtains a separation between different lots, batches and/or infeeds with rod-shaped articles from the tobacco-processing industry.